


Downfall

by Kavella



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-09 20:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5553797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kavella/pseuds/Kavella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate ending to Always Two, There Are, where Sabine, Zeb, and Ezra's escape does not go as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I can’t hold them alone!” The female Inquisitor shouted.

Ezra watched from the ship as she struggled. The other man was occupied with redirecting Sabine’s shots, and was in no position to hold them back.

Ezra turned his lightsaber upside down in his hands and used the blue blade to slice through his restrains. The pressure on his wrists released, and he knew that it would leave bruises. He turned his lightsaber back around and looked up, just in time to see the red laser headed right for Sabine.

But there was no time to stop it.

She grunted as the blast hit her chest plate, throwing her back into the ship.

“Sabine!” Ezra yelled. He wanted to go and check on her, to make sure she was okay, but he knew that first they had to get away from the inquisitors. The male inquisitor was now free to pull the ship back with the force, and if he did, they would all be killed.

Ezra took a step towards the open door, prepared to detract his lightsaber and use the energy blasts on them. But before he could, he heard the female Inquisitor scream in rage. The ship jerked forward, and Ezra had to grab onto something to keep from falling off.

Yes, yes! They were getting away! A wave of relief washed over him, and he let his guard down, confident that they would make it out.

And that had been his undoing.

As soon as he had released the wall, his body jerked. At first, he was unsure of what was going on. But he glanced down at the male Inquisitor, who had his hand outstretched and a smirk on his face. Ezra’s fear spiked as he realized what was going on.

He turned to Sabine, who was just getting up off the ground, and hoped it was not the last time he would see her.

And then, the world around him blurred.

“Ezra!” called Sabine’s voice, but there was no stopping his decent.

The floor smacked into his back, the air in his lungs releasing all at once. He gasped, thirsty for fresh air, as he watched the Phantom barely escape through the closing doors.

The metallic sound of the hanger doors closing confirmed his destiny.

Above him, two sets of Imperial hate-filled eyes bore down. They had been tricked once, and Sabine and Zeb had gotten away. Ezra was glad for that. But that meant they would not be tricked again.

“Well, well. Looks like you’re stuck with us, pretty.” She leaned down and ran her sharp claws against his cheek. Ezra flinched away, but made no move to run. If he did, he knew he would end up losing a limb. “And I hope you won’t try to run away again.” Her claws pressed deeper into his skin, and Ezra could feel a trickle of blood oozing down his cheek. “Because that would make me _very_ angry.” She drew her hands away from him. “Let’s get him back somewhere more… _safe_.”

Ezra was powerless against the male inquisitor’s strong hands jerking him up.

“Why can’t we kill him now?” the man asked, squeezing his large and bulky hands tighter around Ezra’s shoulders. 

“Because,” the female inquisitor jeered. “He’s going to lure in his Jedi master and Ahsoka Tano. And once we kill them, he may prove valuable to the Empire. That is, of course, with the proper _training_.” The woman lowered her gaze into Ezra’s eyes, who stared defiantly. “I bet you don’t even know how strong you are.”

“And I bet that you would shut up five minutes ago, but apparently, _you never stop talking_ , _”_ Ezra sassed.

 The female inquisitor smirked, her eyes aglow with something that made Ezra sick.

“Keep talking, boy.” Her red blade ignited. “I love it when I have to use this.” The woman raised the red blade and slashed down, and Ezra’s world was overfilled with pain.

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“Speaking of discipline…” Kanan said upon hearing the Phantom docking onto the Ghost. The hatch opened and Sabine jumped down it, landing in a crouch.

“We need to move. _Now,”_ she said, standing up and taking a step to the side so Zeb could jump down as well.

“Wait, what? What are you talking about?” Hera asked, standing up from her seat. Sabine and Zeb glanced at each other, and looked back at them.

“Wait…” Kanan said, his mind connecting the dots. “Where’s Ezra?”

“He’s been captured by the two inquisitors we ran into at the station,” Sabine explained, almost at a whisper. “They… they grabbed him and pulled him off the ship with the force. He… he looked at me in the eyes when it happened. Kanan... he was terrified.”

“They won’t kill him… at least, not yet.” Zeb said.  “He’s being used as bait to get to you an’ Ahsoka. We tried to get away without ‘aving the fleet come, and we almost did – that is, until they pulled the kid out of the ship. If we ‘adn’t gone then – we all would ‘ave died.”

The ship was silent, all its inhabitants lost in their worries.

“Did you know?” Sabine asked, her voice trembling. “Did you know there were more Inquisitors?”

Kanan slumped down on to the table, running a hand through his hair.

“No, I didn’t,” he admitted.

“So,” Rex asked after another prolonged silence. “What’s the plan?”

“The plan is, we go and rescue him,” Kanan said, standing back up with confidence.

“But Kanan,” Hera said. “If we do this, we’re walking right into a trap. And what about the rest of the fleet?” Kanan pondered this a moment before looking back up at her.

“Yeah, I know. And this is a risk we have to take. Ezra’s a part of this team, and he’s a part of this rebellion. I’m not leaving him behind to the Empire.” Hera nodded, accepting his answer.

“Sabine, with me. Set the coordinates while I contact Ahsoka. Kanan, try and come up with a plan that will actually work,” she teased, running out the door.

“Like that’s gonna happen,” Zeb grumbled, and Rex chuckled.

“It must be a Jedi thing.” Rex said, his mind wandering back to the Clone Wars. “They never follow the plan.”


	2. Competition

The crew sat silently, looking out into the vast sea of swirling blue streaks, reminded of the big and innocent eyes of the teen that they had lost.

Kanan shifted in his seat, anxious to get his padawan back. He knew how cruel a Sith could be, and the thought of him being hurt sent his stomach churning. They would physically, mentally, and emotionally torture prisoners to the point of insanity or death; whichever came last. He had barely held out during his own capture, and although Ezra was strong, he would not last long.

However, Zeb said it himself; Ezra was being used as bait. And to be bait, he had to stay alive. 

But the fact remained that he did not have to be in one piece.

A light blinked on the control panel, and Hera flipped it on. Before them appeared Ahsoka, her face showing concern and worry. Kanan’s stomach flipped, knowing that whatever she had to say, it would not be good. 

“Come in, Ghost,” she said.

“This is Ghost,” Hera responded.

“We just received a message, and I think you need to see it.” Her image faded; replaced with a female green-skinned Mirialan, her armor having the Empire’s symbol on it. That, and the way Sabine and Zeb stiffened, Kanan knew that this was one of the Inquisitors that was holding Ezra.

“Hello, _rebels,_ ” she spat. “This is a message for Ahsoka Tano and Kanan Jarrus. If you want your pretty youngling to live, then come to the abandoned Republic medical station, and surrender.” She smiled, and even through the hologram, Kanan could see the glint of pleasure in her eyes. “And if not,” she said cheerily, reached for something they could not see. “Then he and I can keep having _fun_.” She jerked Ezra into the frame, and Kanan’s heart stopped.

The inquisitor was holding onto him by his hair on the nape of his neck, and his head hung low, messy hair covering his face. His coveralls hung around his waist, exposing his chest, which had a long jagged slice across his stomach, blood seeping out. His shoulders sagged and he made no movement.

The Inquisitor then tossed his limp body to the side, and they all heard Ezra land in a heap, and the small grunt of pain he released. She smirked again.

“You better hurry.” With that, the transmission cut, leaving the crew to silence. Kanan closed his eyes, the image of his unconscious padawan replaying in his mind.

“Based on the message,” Ahsoka said, reappearing on the screen. “These Inquisitors are serious about their threats.”

“Yeah, I think we got that part,” Zeb snapped, his hands balled into fists.

Ahsoka nodded, acknowledging the comment. “Which is why I will be joining you in your rescue efforts. We cannot endanger Ezra’s life any further. Kanan, you and your crew will wait for my arrival. Then, you and I will go in alone.”

“Ahsoka,” Hera said. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We-”

“I understand, Hera, and I agree. This mission will be dangerous and unplanned. But, it is the only way to rescue Ezra.”

All eyes turned to him. Kanan looked down, his mind racing. He looked back up a moment later.

“I agree.”

“Then it’s settled. Find a place for your crew to stay. I will be there shortly.” With a bow, Ahsoka’s hologram faded, leaving the crew alone. A long moment of silence passed between them, all caught up in their own thoughts, until Sabine spoke up.

“That was a lightsaber wound, wasn’t it?” The ex-Jedi grimaced at her statement.

“Yes, it was.” Solemn silence filled the air. Sabine sunk lower into her chair, her helmet hiding her face.

“Hang in there, kid,” Rex said, resting his hand on her shoulder. “If I know one thing, it’s that Jedi are tough; _especially_ when they’re strong willed.” Sabine nodded, and for once, Kanan was glad that Rex was here. He did not know how to comfort the crew during this type of situation. And even if he tried to tell them that everything was going to be alright, they would detect his lie.

Ezra was in the hands of the Empire, and they had shown that they had no problem hurting him to get what they wanted.

Kanan knew that things could only get worse.

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The Seventh Sister smiled as the Fifth Brother secured the boy’s hands behind his back and onto the control panel. They had taken him back to the room they were in before, as the Seventh Sister knew it would be easiest to find. The Jedi would not dare to attempt anything while the safety of someone was at risk, especially when that someone was a youngling.

She was taught about the strong bond between master and apprentice, and knew that it would be their downfall. And once the master of the boy was killed, Ahsoka Tano would be all hers and the Fifth Brother could dispose of the boy for all she cared. The Emperor seemed to have a fondness towards the boy, considering how strong and young he was, but to her, the Empire had enough Inquisitors; and frankly she did not need the extra competition.

Besides, she was the Emperor’s favorite now, and she would not do anything to change that. So when the Fifth Brother disposes of him, he will be killed in retaliation. It is a win – win for her, and only her.

The boy moaned as the bindings were clamped shut as tight as possible. Restricting his blood flow to his wrists would make it that much more difficult and that much more painful for him to escape.

It would also make it that much easier for his master to feel worried.

“Now what?” the Fifth Brother asked. The Seventh Sister resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Although he was strong, he was neither bright nor malicious. Just a killing machine. And she could appreciate a killing machine when it was needed, but this type of situation needed more… _elegance_ to it. That was why she was here.

“Now, you go and rig the trap. I trust that you can handle the task?” she asked with spite in her voice. He grunted and walked out of the room. The Seventh Sister smiled, knowing that he would listen to her instructions. She filed the information away for later.

Looking back down at the boy, she could tell that he was coming to. His chest was rising and falling more quickly now, and his face was scrunched in pain. She could see the breaths that he took and knew that with his chest exposed he must be cold.

She smiled. Maybe when he woke up, her lightsaber could warm him.

He let out another groan, turning his head to the other side and revealing the old scars on his cheek. They too were lightsaber marks, no doubt from the Grand Inquisitor. But they were small and insignificant compared to her marks. She had sliced him across the stomach and down his thigh, just in case he thought of running away.  And while unconscious, she may have _accidently_ sliced his back, across his left shoulder blade. _Whoops_.

However, a thought occurred to her. She had only marked him with her blade on his chest, back, and legs, all which could be easily covered up by clothes; but where the Grand Inquisitor had marked him, could not. Her smiled was replaced with a deepening frown. There it was again, another reason that the Grand Inquisitor was better than her, even in death.

She shook off the feeling. Once the boy woke up, she would make sure that he wished he had not.

The boy’s eyes flickered open, the once strong bright blue now faded and glazy.

“Well, look who it is. Welcome back, rebel.” The boy’s eyes glanced at her, but he made no move to respond. “What, no sarcastic comeback? No jeering insult? And I thought I liked you.”

“Well, you thought wrong,” the boy said. She smiled. Not even pain could hide his smart mouth, which meant a greater chance for her to have some fun.

“I think the only one in the wrong here is you. Because of you, your Jedi friends are coming to _rescue_ you.” She watched as the boy’s eyes widened. “That’s right. They’re being lured right into my trap. And since you’re the bait, that makes _you_ responsible for their deaths,” she explained. “But don’t worry; you won’t be alive long afterwards to feel bad about it.”

“You’re lying,” he said, his eyes narrowing.

“Oh, am I?” she responded. “And how can you tell?”

“Because that’s what you do. You lie and you manipulate and you kill,” the boy argued.

“Even though those are my three favorite things, I’m actually telling the truth. And you know it, too,” she said. The boy looked away, and she could sense his unease. “You just don’t want to believe it. But believe me.” She stood up from her chair and crouched down next to him, digging her nails into his already bloody cheek. “You and your master will be dead within the next several hours. So, you might as well give up now.”

The boy did not flinch away, but only closed his eyes and grimaced in pain. After a moment he looked up.

“I’ll never give up,” he stated, his voice betraying the emotions he felt.

“And you call _me_ the liar,” she retorted, igniting her blade once more.

 


	3. Danger

Ahsoka arrived an hour after the crew had. For Kanan, it was the longest hour of his life. He had been too anxious to meditate, too agitated to talk to anyone, and too worried to argue with Rex. He knew the impending fight would be difficult and costly, and he knew that he might not make it back alive.

But he had to try.

If the two Inquisitors were anything like the last one, he would be in trouble. He never really even defeated the first one; he chose to fall into the fire. And the only reason Kanan had been able to one up him was because he had thought Ezra was dead. How was he supposed to defeat two more?

But now he did have Ahsoka. She had more training than he did, but she had left the Jedi order before completing it as well. What they really needed was a Jedi master, not two ex-padawans. But the masters had all been killed; it was only them left to train the next generation.

He was following Ahsoka to the Phantom, anxious to finally be able to do something instead of wait.

"Kanan." He stopped and turned to look at Hera. "Are you sure about this?" she asked. He sighed.

"No." Zeb and Sabine stiffened while Hera continued to stare him down. "But," he added. "I have faith that you'll have my back." Hera still looked a bit concerned, but nodded her head.

"Kanan," Sabine said, and he turned towards him. "The Mirialan Inquisitor is the one you need to watch out for. She's the one who grabbed Ezra the first time. And she has probe droids that electrocute anything they can latch onto. But the male Inquisitor is stronger and won't hesitate to kill."

"Thanks, Sabine," Kanan said, storing the information away.

"And Kanan?" she asked. "Don't do anything stupid."

"When have I ever done anything stupid?" he asked, tossing his hands up casually, as if in confusion. Hera put her hand on his shoulder and spoke.

"That would take too long to answer," she said. "And I agree. We'll be waiting for your signal." He nodded.

"Kanan?" Ahsoka asked, looking down from the ladder. "It's time."

"Alright," he said, and began climbing up the ladder, before stopping halfway. He glanced over his shoulder and took one last look at the crew before entering the Phantom and closing the hatch. He hoped it was not the last time he would see their faces.

"Don't worry, Kanan," Ahsoka said as he walked up and stood behind her. "We'll bring him back."

"I hope so," he said. But in all honesty, he knew that he would do anything to get his padawan back; even if that meant not coming back with him. Ahsoka detached the Phantom from the Ghost, and they made their way towards the looming medical station, knowing of the danger that was to come.

Putting in a code to the Phantom and pressing a button above her head, the station doors slid open. Ahsoka navigated the Phantom into the hangar and landed it.

"So, what exactly is the plan?" Kanan asked as they walked into the hangar.

"Not entirely sure," Ahsoka responded. "Since we're walking right into a trap, I'm assuming that we're going end up winging it anyway."

"You're right about that," Kanan said. He pulled out his com link and spoke into it. "Sabine, where was Ezra held last time?"

Sabine's voice crackled to life. "We were in the control room at the center," she responded.

"Alright, we're headed there now," he said, and put his com away. He walked up to Ahsoka and pressed the first blue button. When nothing happened, he turned to Ahsoka.

"Power's probably out." He placed a hand on his saber. "We'll have to-" The door slid open, and Kanan turned back to Ahsoka, whose hand was stretched out.

"Probably easier this way," she said, walking through the entryway.

"Yeah…" Kanan said, realizing for the first time how much more powerful Ahsoka was.

The door slid shut behind him as they continued walking through the dark and abandoned hallways. At the first intersection, she turned to him.

"Which way?" Kanan closed his eyes, reaching out to the force. He stretched his senses far and wide, searching for the familiarity of his padawan's force signature. And when he did not feel it right away, panic rose from his chest. But before his panic could become full blown, out of the corner of his mind, he felt Ezra reaching out for him. It was weak and afraid, but it was Ezra.

Kanan opened his eyes and darted down the left hallway. Ahsoka followed him as he maneuvered through the halls and towards the center control station. His heart raced as he drew nearer, Ezra's presence becoming more present and aware. His padawan must have sensed his presence.

He turned down the next hallway and saw the door to the control room. He was so close-

The door ahead of him slid closed, and Kanan, who was still running at top speed, slammed into it head first. Ahsoka, who was a bit behind him, had the time to slow down and come to a graceful stop. Kanan could sense her amusement as he lied on the floor.

He groaned as he sat up. "Is this their definition of a trap?" he asked. He stood up with a helping hand from Ahsoka, and ignited his blue blade.

"No," a different voice said, and the two ex-padawans whipped around. Before them stood a large bulky man with glass white eyes. "This is," he said, as the red lightsaber pierced through the darkness. Behind him, one seeker droid appeared, its red light matching with his blade.

Beside him, Ahsoka pulled out her own blades, surprising Kanan as two white lights beamed through the dark. He made a mental note to ask her about that later.

"It's two against one," he said to Ahsoka. "We can take him."

Kanan felt the door behind him open and another voice join the conversation.

"You seem so sure of yourself," the voice said, and Kanan turned around again for his eyes to rest on a yellow-eyed Mirialan. His grip on his lightsaber tightened, remembering what Sabine had told him. "And I'd be happy to prove you wrong."

"Where's Ezra," Kanan questioned forcefully.

"Oh, trust me; your pretty youngling is… occupied at the moment. But don't worry; you'll be joining him soon." She smiled.

"What did you do to him?" Kanan threatened again, not caring that his anger was getting the best of him. He needed to know that Ezra was alright.

"I'm sure that you'll find out soon enough," she said.

"Kanan," Ahsoka said, before Kanan could get another retort in. He took a calming breath, knowing he needed to focus.

"Ahsoka Tano," the female inquisitor said, looking over her. "I'm glad I finally get to meet you."

"The feeling's not mutual," she quipped. The inquisitor seemed to be amused.

"Hm. You seem to have as much quip as the youngling. But I can shut you up, just like I did him."

Kanan charged forward, not caring about anything other than fighting the woman who caused his padawan pain. Her lightsaber ignited and clashed with his. While his face was scrunched in anger and worry, she was lax and smirking.

She pushed him off of her blade, taking a step back and blocking his next swing. He was fighting forcefully but recklessly, allowing her to gain an advantage and force push him back against the wall before his next jab.

He grunted in pain but landed on his feet. He glanced over at Ahsoka, who was fighting the male inquisitor with elegance and grace. He had ignited his second saber and, true to Sabine's observations, he was stronger, but was not as agile as the female was.

Kanan looked back just in time to block one of her swings. Their blades clashed back and forth; she twisted and turned through the motions as Kanan was forced into defense.

Suddenly he felt a cold metal attach to his shoulder. He glanced to the side, but before he could react to the seeker droid, the electric energy shot through his body. He jolted and let out a gasp of pain.

The female Inquisitor stepped forward, her red blade centimeters away from his face. But even with the electric current racing through his body, he connected with the force, and pushed her away. She hit the door of the control room and fell to the ground.

Kanan then turned and grabbed the droid, trying to rip it off. However, when it did not come off, he twisted his blade to his left hand and stabbed it through its red eye. The light died, as did the electric current, and the droid fell from his shoulder. He sighed, letting his shoulders drop.

From behind him, Ahsoka was thrown back from a well-placed kick to the ribs. This seemed to only make her more determined, as her lightsabers clashed with more speed. She bended backwards to avoid a slash, a move that was so expertly implemented, Kanan had no doubt that she had done it many times before.

With a few more clashes, Ahsoka back flipped away with a kick to the inquisitor's face, landing beside Kanan, who had just gathered the strength to stand up.

"Enough!" Kanan and Ahsoka whipped their heads around to see the female inquisitor, who was now standing and using the wall as support. She quickly relinquished the wall and stood straight up on her own. "As much as I'm enjoying myself here, I'd much rather get to know you personally before I kill you. So."

She pressed a button on the panel and the door to the control room opened, revealing a sight that made Kanan freeze and his stomach churn.


	4. Blood

Ezra woke to the sound of lightsaber clashes. Opening his eyes, his world filled with pain. He groaned as he tried to adjust his position on the floor with no avail. Taking another breath, his chest burned at the movement, and escalated with each inhale and exhale.  

Another sound of lightsabers clashing sounded through the door, along with a grunt, which Ezra recognized immediately. It was Kanan! He had come to save him!

But the words of the Inquisitor came flooding back into his mind.

_They’re being lured right into my trap. And since you’re the bait, that makes_ you _responsible for their deaths._

Dread filled Ezra’s stomach. Kanan was going to be murdered by the female Inquisitor, and Ezra was stuck mere meters away, handcuffed. He jerked at his bindings again, but the only result was more pain. Every movement just ignited another part of his body.

She had been merciless to him.

The most pain was on his chest, where his skin was exposed -- he did not remember that happening. His coveralls hung around his waist, and thankfully, the rest of his outfit was untouched. The Inquisitor had some weird thing with always touching his face or playing with his hair. It terrified him, but, he supposed that was the point.

His chest was splotched with red, some that were dark and still seeping and some that were beginning to heal. The blood had been spilling out of him for the unknown amount of time that he was lying unconscious; taking into consideration the pool of blood that surrounded him, and the rancid smell that filled his nostrils, it had to be a long time.

There was an equal amount of pain radiating from his back and leg. He suspected that she had only sliced his back once, and he remembered her slicing his leg. She said something about him not being able to run away.

He groaned as he pulled at the stun cuffs again, the metal clinking against the bar. He _had_ to get out of here. His usefulness as bait had come to a close, and if the Inquisitors did not have anyone to hold against Kanan, then they _might_ have a slim chance of getting out of here.

Relaxing his muscles, he tried a different approach. It was clear that the stun cuffs would not budge from the control panel that was behind him, so that left him with one option. He would have to slide his hands out, which in theory should be easy, considering they were already lubricated with his blood. But to do that, he needed fresh blood. Grunting in pain, he shifted his body so the cuffs were underneath the slice on his back.

He applied pressure to the cut and bit back a scream as the blood began dripping onto his cuffs. After a few painstaking minutes, his wrist was able to twist left and right. He pushed harder, waiting a few more moments before-

He gasped as his hand broke free. He pulled it in front of him grabbing it with his other hand, which was still stuck in the cuffs. His wrist was bloody and stinging from the pain.

A bang from outside the door woke him from his trance. Right. He still had to get out of here, and no amount of pain could stop him.

He placed his palm on the ground in an attempt to lift himself up, only to fall down flat on his chest. It took all of his willpower not to scream. Okay, that much pain was enough to stop him.

But only for a moment. He rolled onto his back and grabbed onto the control panel with both hands, his left, which still had the cuffs, clattered against the metal device. Wincing at the sound, he pulled himself up. The room spun around him, but at this point he had gotten used to it.

Limping as fast as he could, he made his way out of the pool of crimson liquid and threw himself against the door. He threw his arm into button, knowing that his fingers would not work properly after being restricted and bleeding for such a long period of time. The door slid open, and after making sure the coast was clear, he limped away.

He was only a few meters away when he heard it.

“Ezra!” He froze in his tracks. He recognized it as Kanan’s voice, but it was filled with fear. It sent chills down his spine hearing his teacher so worried, so afraid. He needed help, but Ezra knew that he was in no condition to help.

But like Kanan, he was stubborn. He had to try.

Looking up, he saw his old friend. With a quick force pull, the grate of the vent shaft unlatched. He sighed, wishing that he had Zeb’s help to boost him up. Without it, this was going to hurt. He bent his legs, resisting the urge to scream in pain, and jumped. The force flowed through him, giving him an extra push, and his hands latched onto the opening.

This time, he could not help but let out a loud grunt of pain. He just hoped that no one had heard. Using his arms, he hoisted himself up into the shaft. Once his upper body was inside, he crawled deeper to pull his legs up. He slowly sat up and turned to face the opening. Leaning down, he closed the grate. His breathing was heavy and pulling himself through the small space took a toll on his battered body, but he was making progress.

He just had to get back to Kanan and help him. If he was battling the Inquisitors, Ezra knew he could not last long. Despite being an excellent fighter, Ezra knew that Kanan had never finished his training. He was not as skilled as the Inquisitors were. At least with Ezra there, it would attempt to level the sides, but he too knew that he was hardly a formidable opponent.

Was he already too late?

He froze, the question running circles in his mind. No, he would have felt it, right? He closed his eyes, but could not seem to reach Kanan through the force. Something was blocking his connection; but if he was blocked from Kanan, that meant Kanan was blocked from him.

The blood. Kanan had seen his blood, and he could not sense him. That’s why he had yelled his name, he thought he was dead.

But that means that the Inquisitors saw that he had escaped. They would come looking for him, and if he connected with Kanan, they would sense it, and then they would all be captured.

He opened his eyes and let his body fall slack. He was tired, so tired, and no solution to the situation was coming to him. His eye lids suddenly became heavy; his mind beckoning him to sleep. He knew he should resist, he should keep going and find Kanan, but his mind was already slipping away.

Ezra gave in.


	5. Drip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope everyone is enjoying this so far, I'm having a lot of fun writing it. I just wanted to apologize in advance because this chapter has a lot of fighting, and writing fighting scenes is not exactly my forte. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

 

“Ezra!” Kanan shouted, as if this could miraculously bring his padawan to his side, unharmed.  The rational part of his mind told him it was impossible, and Ezra had to be dead. He would have ignored this voice, if not for the blood.

_Blood_. There was blood everywhere.

Kanan’s eyes widened, taking in every pain staking detail that was caught in his sight. It was smeared on the control panel, some of it still fresh, while a dry pool coated the floor. Dim light reflected off of the blood, giving the room an eerie feel. It had all the makings to be something out of a horror tale that smugglers told of finding partners murdered by other gangs; except, Ezra was nowhere to be found.

“Where is he?” Ahsoka snarled, her grip tightening on her sabers. Kanan, despite the feelings of shock overriding his mind, was still surprised at the venom that dripped from her words. She was always cool, collected, and steady in the face of danger; he supposed he was seeing a whole new side to the ex-Jedi, one that was bold and fierce. He made a note to look out for it in the future.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” the female inquisitor said. Her taunting voice could be heard, but Kanan sensed something that lied underneath it, something more… _worried._ Realization dawned on him.

“You don’t know where he is, do you?” Kanan asked, raising an eyebrow and pretending, if only for a moment, that there was not so much blood, _blood_ -

Turning to look back at the inquisitor, he saw a flash of surprise dance across her eyes. He could not help but smirk at the thought of Ezra, injured, still being able to escape. His comment was completely correct, and Ahsoka knew it too.

“And since you don’t know where he is,” she said, slipping back into her calm persona, “You have nothing to bargain with.” Her arms twisted her blades, showing off their vibrancy and power as she shifted into a fighting stance. Kanan, not one for the theatrics (and knowing that he could never pull that off), just shifted into a fighting stance, gripping his blade tighter.

“Don’t bet on it,” the inquisitor snarled, before three probe droids came up from behind her. Their red eyes glowed as their long claws pinched together. “Find him,” she ordered, and the droids went racing off, all in three different directions.

Kanan’s face fell. Ezra was injured, alone, and now he was being hunted.

Things could not get much worse than this.

 A beeping light lit up on the female inquisitor’s wrist, and another smile shifted into place.

“Well, fifth brother,” she said. “Looks as if our reinforcements have arrived.” She ignited her red blade and charged, rage filled eyes looking only at Ahsoka. She easily blocked her attack and turned towards Kanan, shouting over the sound of their blade’s sizzling.

“Go! I’ll hold them off!” Kanan did not need to be told twice. Turning he raced off after one of the probe droids, his blue lightsaber moving up and down with his hand. Behind him, he heard more lightsaber clashes, and a wave of uncertainty flowed through him. However, he shook it from his head; Ahsoka was more than capable of holding her own.

Besides, it was time for their own reinforcements to arrive.

Taking out his comm and activating it, he spoke.

“Ghost team, this is Spector one.”

“Kanan!” Hera said, her voice sounding both relieved and concerned simultaneously. “Are you alright? Where’s Ezra?”

“He escaped,” Kanan explained in between gasps. “And we need to find him before the Empire does. Their reinforcements have-” He heard Hera grunt over the comm and slid to a stop. “Hera?”

The only answer he heard was static. “Hera!” he shouted again, hoping somehow that she had just dropped the comm, or Chopper was messing with the signal – but still, Hera’s voice did not answer his call. Muttering a curse under his breath, he put the comm away. He was no help to Hera on the base, and he was no help to Ezra if he was worrying about Hera. He had to focus on the task at hand.

Breaking back into a sprint, his legs raced across the desolate base, jumping over stray ruble and crouching under fallen beams. He almost hit his head on a particularly low beam that was just about Ezra’s height, but managed to avoid – only barely. The next thing he knew he had tripped over a jumble of fallen crates, his head smacking into the ground.

Groaning, he slowly stood up. Shaking off the ache, he turned to look to his right, only to find the droid he was looking for.

It beeped as it scanned the walls for any trace of life, its red eye shifting left and right. So far, it was oblivious to Kanan’s presence; but that would not last long.

Kanan ignited his blade and charged forward. The droid whipped around, just in time for him to slice his blade through the metal. It clattered onto the floor in two pieces.

Suddenly, he heard the sounds of another probe droid. Assuring himself that there was no way the one on the floor was still operational, he glanced up, seeing the source of the sound. The second probe droid raced across the hallway, not paying any attention to him at all.

He bolted, not wanting to lose the droid. Turning down the path that it had taken, his eyes narrowed at the sight before him.

Both of the protocol droids were in the hall, beeping quickly at each other. Kanan was not sure what was going on, but he _was_ sure that he did not like it.

“Hey!” he shouted, and the droid’s attention diverted to him. He pulled his blade up so its light shined on his face. The droids raced towards him, but Kanan stood still. It was not until the last second when he acted.

Ducking under the droids, they flew by, not expecting the move. As they flew overhead, Kanan slashed his lightsaber up, the satisfying noise of cutting through metal sounding in his ears. It clattered onto the floor, still sparking.

The second one, however, was faster than he had expected. It latched on to Kanan’s hands and lightning shot through his veins. He let out a shout of pain, before taking his hands and slamming them into the wall.

Dazed, the droid detached, and Kanan took a few steps back. His lightsaber was lying on the ground, right underneath the hovering droid.

Said droid was advancing towards him, electric sparks sizzling every so often as a threat. Kanan, his mind still dazed, had no choice but to back away.

The droid, however, grew impatient. It lunged at Kanan, hoping to latch onto him and stay there for good. Kanan, however, just came out of the haze. His eyes widened, and thanks to his fast reflexes he ducked underneath the droid, using the force to pull his lightsaber to his hand. Standing back up again, the droid was already advancing his way – but with a swipe of his blade, it was advancing towards the floor.

Kanan retraced his blade, panting. Now that the probe droids were not hunting Ezra anymore, he had the upper hand. He just needed to hope that he would find Ezra before the Empire’s reinforcements—

A clang sounded down the hall, echoing off of its rusting walls. It sounded like something clanging against the metal, but Kanan could not be sure. However, he was sure that there was another noise that he had not noticed before: a _drip, drip, drip_.

Eyes narrowed, he advanced forward a few meters, before stopping. The noise had ceased, but he could sense that something was off. Whatever was making that noise was trying its hardest not to be found.

This time, instead of hearing the drip – he felt it.

Looking at his shoulder where now a small drop of liquid rested, Kanan looked up; he was standing underneath an air vent grate.

Realization dawned on him.

He quickly reached up with his hand, and with the force closing the gap, he pulled the grate down. It was far too narrow for him to fit through, but that did not mean it would stop him.

He was about to jump up when the first noise began again; he realized he was correct in his first assumptions. This time, however, it continued on. It was a _clang_ , _clang_ , followed by the sounds of the metal groaning.

“Ezra?” Kanan whispered, hoping that his padawan’s bright face would appear in the grate, eyes wide and filled with energy. Instead, the noise stopped – and a voice replaced it.


End file.
